Brock Purdy’s deep-ball brilliance ignites 49ers’ offensive explosion

The San Francisco 49ers offense has been explosive this season, much to the delight of the team's Super Bowl-hopeful fanbase. Brock Purdy's deep-ball efficiency has shattered any preconceptions about the quarterback's inability to get the football downfield to his talented ensemble of playmakers. Purdy has silenced critics and established himself as a force in nearly every aspect of quarterback play.

Many wonder if Purdy's newly showcased arm strength resulted from his UCL surgery on his throwing arm this offseason. However, the quarterback recently suggested that it may just be the natural evolution of his game.

Remember, Purdy is only in his second NFL season. It's safe to say that the 23-year-old has yet to hit his ceiling. Yet, here he is, playing at an MVP level and very much in the conversation for the annual award.

In a recent interview on Bay Area radio station KNBR, Purdy addressed his deep-ball efficiency, stating, "Honestly, I would say it's a little new, just with my game. I've always been known for the quick game, the intermediate, and then every once in a while, I'll push it downfield. But it's not like what I'm doing now, I'd say.

"And I feel like that's a testament to, obviously, [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and his play calls, and sort of just his coaching the last year or so, of me just learning the system, and being ready to take those shots, take the opportunities to go deep."

The quarterback added, "So I feel like it's somewhat of a new part of my game, honestly."

Purdy also credited his supporting cast, talented players like wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, who make the deep-ball success a collective effort.

Pro Football Focus tracks passes that travel at least 20 yards downfield. Purdy owns a phenomenal grade of 99.2 on such passes this season, the highest among all NFL quarterbacks. Purdy's exceptional 65.9 completion percentage (27 of 41) on these throws tops the NFL by a significant margin (C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans is second at 57.1 percent), and his deep-ball passer rating of 138.5 is second only to Stroud (141.4). Purdy is tied for the league lead with nine touchdowns on passes that travel at least 20 yards.

When asked about Purdy's impressive deep-ball efficiency, tight end George Kittle said, "Definitely have seen the consistency. I'll say, too, Brock was on a pitch count in training camp (as he continued to recover from offseason surgery). He didn't throw at all the entire offseason. He's coming off that surgery, and so it's just like getting reps and getting reps. And then you just find your confidence, and then you get used to the guys you're throwing it to. Because throwing a deep ball to Deebo was a lot different than throwing a deep ball to Aiyuk. It's a lot different than throwing a deep ball to me or [RB] Christian McCaffrey.

"So he's just getting used to us running those routes. And then the more opportunities that we get throughout practice, I think you can say he's found his rhythm or he's just gotten used to us running those. And now you just see that on game days. We're taking a lot of those shots, and we're just executing them. And the guys are running great routes, and you have Brock just playing Brock ball."

On passes traveling 30 yards or more, Purdy's performance remains stellar. According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, the quarterback has completed 7 of those 13 attempts with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His predecessor, Jimmy Garoppolo, wasn't as successful on similar throws, completing only six of his 40 attempts with two touchdowns and six interceptions.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Purdy said, "I feel like right now, probably, out of all the years I've been playing football, this has probably been the best in terms of pushing the ball downfield and being efficient in that area. Not just throwing it up in hopes for someone to grab it, but being efficient when I take my shots. I feel like it is probably the best that I've been throwing the ball right now."

In the earlier radio conversation, Purdy admitted that the offseason surgery probably partially resulted in his newfound arm strength but not because the ligaments healed stronger on their own. He credits the intensive rehab he underwent, which emphasized strengthening the ligaments and muscles around his repaired elbow. The quarterback has carried those techniques into his regular regiment.

"I think, honestly, I learned a lot, and I think it's a little bit stronger from where I started day one in the NFL," Purdy said.

During his own radio interview Friday morning, general manager John Lynch lauded Purdy's work ethic and maintenance routine, anticipating continued improvement throughout his career.

"I think all the work that he's put in, and the maintenance that he does now, I think that is allowing him, once you get healthy and you've healed, it's allowing him to kind of max out whatever he's got in his body," Lynch said. "And I think that's what he's done. The rehab has just become part of his routine. And so I think that in and of itself keeps your arm healthy, keeps everything firing, and man, he looks great. He's continued to play. He's worthy of this discussion of MVP."